Parent Teacher Associations — what is it?

Meghal Agrawal

Parent Teacher Associations — what is it?

Future, that’s what we are striving towards, right?

I mean every choice, move we make we do it all in such a way so that the consequences ultimately lead to a better future. Children are believed to be the country’s future and schools bear this colossal responsibility of cementing a country’s foundation. Formed to educate and prepare its students to think critically to ignite discussion on valid points and furthermore development of its pupils. Considered as the most crucial stepping stones of one’s life administration of an organization like school that bears the responsibility of such caliber doesn’t have to be solely the job of school staff, parents of students also realized that and offered the required cooperation to work together with the school for providing education in the best possible form for their children and this is where PTAs came in.

“The idea of education was to learn to think for yourself”

- John Keating (Dead Poets Society)

PTA or Parent Teacher Association, are the organization of parents and staff striving to make the school an efficient place for its pupil by creating closer links between school and home. Parents volunteer to work together with teachers that along with creating strong working relationships among parents and school also establishes a foundation for a team that will strategically chalk out plans on how to attain certain objectives of the school. Although a PTA’s primary responsibility is building better school-home relationships, they are popularly known for their fundraising work. Local PTA meetings also serve as venues for discussions of a variety of important issues concerning the education at school where parents raise concern about things like homework and changes in school curriculum and forming a better relationship with adolescent pupils and teachers discuss about the students performance, students are also encouraged to give their perspectives on topics of importance and involve them in decision-making.

Along with the motive of making schools a better place for learning PTAs were formed to performs all functions that could help the weaker parts of the society. Since its commencement PTAs have widened the range of functions it performs as a part of the school and the community,

A PTA benefits schools in many aspects I will list some of them here:-

Parent-Teacher bonding — PTA just as the name suggest is an association that requires parents and teachers to co-operate with each other which results in a better understanding of the organization’s goals and the problems it’s handling.

More transparency — The improved relationship & understanding between parent and teachers has resulted in awareness and more transparency in the day to day information about the students to their parents.

Fundraising organizers — PTAs are known for organizing fundraisers to help schools that operate on a tight budget and are in a need of additional supplies that can enhance the quality of education, they play a major part in arranging fundraisers for school’s requirements

Enhanced facilities and opportunities — While the availability of sufficient funds raised by fundraisers ensures the stability of school which ultimately adds up to the achievement of PTA’s goal, it also brings an improvement in facilities and opens doors for new opportunities for members of the school community.

Wider reach — Other than fundraisers PTA meetings have turned out to be one of the most advantageous factor of PTAs as it creates the possibility of exchanging ideas and views regarding the education system and behavior of children. It provides with a reach over the community as PTAs consist of most of the parents in the community.

While generally, school PTAs consist of only a few motivated parents some of the schools conduct PTAs on a relatively larger level and appoint officers, bookkeeper, operating on a budget and other officials. Technically speaking PTAs are organization affiliated with the National PTA, making PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) is a more generic term for such groups without the official connection to the National PTA. and it has come a long way since 1897 when the very first meeting of the National Congress of Mothers was held, which would evolve into National PTA after going under numerous changes and variations over the years.

Don’t worry though! We’ve got you. A quick history lesson would help you catch up to the 121-year long history of National PTA of USA,

In the 1800s the social activism wasn’t a popular opinion along with the fact that the right to vote was still out of the grasp of country’s women. February 17, 1897, Alice McLellan Birney of Georgia and Phoebe Apperson Hearst of Missouri founded the National Congress of Mothers and the first convocation of the National Congress of Mothers in Washington, D.C. changed it all when more than 2,000 people — mostly mothers, but also fathers, teachers, laborers and legislators attended it while only a strength of 200 attendants was expected this kicked off the beginning of the largest and oldest volunteer organization that works exclusively on behalf of children and youth — a group of people who had even fewer rights at the time than women.

In the year 1910, the 17th of February was declared as founders day by charter and board member, Mary Grinnell Mears.

In the year 1924, a new name was adopted- National Congress of Parents and Teachers also sponsored and financed program in North Dakota and Nebraska to show what concerted PTA effort could accomplish launched movements against illiteracy.

May 7 of 1926 is marked as the day the National Congress of Colored Parents and Teachers was formed. So the schools of separate races could be maintained and have their own PTA services.

In 1966 the terms PTA and Parent-Teacher Association were registered as service marks in U.S. govt.

1970 was another major milestone in the journey of PTAs when the National Congress of Parents and Teachers (National PTA) and the National Congress of Colored Parents and Teachers (NCCPT) Selena Sloan Butler in Atlanta, Ga. merged to serve children of all race.

Looks like you’re all caught up with the history of The National PTA, but the thought that “where does India stands in this stage of PTA?” must have crossed your mind, Well a survey in 2010 of parents of schoolchildren for the government of India reported that 50% of respondents were aware of PTAs or MTAs (Mother Teacher Associations) while 16% were already members, though the numbers are not much yet, they sound promising for a country like India where tracking daily school activities of child and creating a better link with school and home is not considered as a regular activity.

Now that you know PTAs have been around for a long time you can only imagine the number of good deeds they do for the community with the funds they raise. I hope reading this article was helpful to you and maybe you have a clearer concept of PTA and its history. Also if you are a member of a PTA and need help in setting up a perfect website for your fundraisers PTSAfundraiser is the one for you, you just need to put in the required details and we set up your online fundraiser portal for you, PTSAfundraiser has already helped schools raise about 0.5 million U.S. dollars and is currently working in 3 countries and still growing while striving towards the goal of better customer satisfaction.

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